the Ansar, who supported him, Allah wished to join him with his fellow prophets, who said: “I ask of you no payment for it; my payment is only from the Lord of all worlds.” (al-Shu'ara 109) So Allah Most High revealed: “Say, ‘Whatever payment I may have asked of you is yours. My payment is only from Allah.’” Thus, this verse was abrogated by this verse, and by His saying: “Say, ‘I ask of you no payment for this, nor am I one of those who pretend.’” (al-Zumar 86), as well as by other verses. This was the view held by al-Dahhak ibn Muzahim and al-Husayn ibn al-Fadl.

This view is not sound, because loving the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, refraining from harming him, loving his relatives, and drawing near to Allah through obedience and righteous deeds are among the obligations of the religion. These are the statements of the early generations concerning the meaning of the verse; therefore, it is not permissible to maintain that any of these matters has been abrogated.

His saying, “except affection for kinship,” is not an exception connected to what precedes it, such that it would be a payment in return for conveying the message. Rather, it is a disconnected exception, meaning: But I remind you to show affection on account of kinship, and I remind you of my kinship with you—as we narrated in the hadith of Zayd ibn Arqam: “I remind you by Allah concerning my household.”

His saying: “Whoever earns a good deed, We shall increase its goodness for him”—that is, whoever adds (1) an act of obedience, We shall increase its goodness for him by multiplying it. “Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving” of sins, “Most Appreciative” of even a little deed, such that He multiplies it.

“Or do they say, ‘He has fabricated a lie about Allah’? If Allah willed, He could seal your heart. Allah effaces falsehood and establishes the truth by His words. Indeed, He knows well what is within the breasts.” (24)

“Or do they say?” Rather, they say—meaning, the disbelievers of Mecca—“He has fabricated a lie about Allah. If Allah willed, He could seal your heart.” Mujahid said: He would strengthen your heart with patience, so that their harm and their claim that he is a fabricator would not distress you. Qatadah said: It means that He would seal your heart, causing you to forget the Quran and what had come to you. Thus, He informed them that if he had fabricated a lie about Allah, He would have done to him what He mentioned in this verse.

Then He begins anew, saying: “Allah effaces falsehood.” Al-Kisa'i said: There is an inversion here; its meaning is: Allah effaces falsehood. It is in the nominative case, but its final letter waw is omitted in the written Quranic text in accordance with its pronunciation, just as it is omitted in His saying, “Man invokes evil,” (al-Isra' 11) and, “We shall call the keepers of Hell,” (al-Alaq 18). He informed them that what they say is falsehood which Allah will efface. “And He establishes the truth by His words”—that is, Islam, through what He has sent down of His Book. Allah has indeed done this: He effaced their falsehood and raised high the word of Islam.

“Indeed, He knows well what is within the breasts.” Ibn Abbas said: When the verse, “Say, ‘I ask of you no payment for this except affection for kinship,’” was revealed, some people felt misgivings about it and said, “He only wishes to urge us to favor his relatives after him.” Gabriel then descended and informed him that they had accused him, and Allah revealed this verse. The people said: “O Messenger of Allah, we bear witness that you are truthful.” Then it was revealed: “And He is the One who accepts repentance from His servants.”